Mobile users pay out £489 million a year for unexpected charges
Unexpected charges add nearly £40 on average to consumers’ annual mobile bills, with UK users paying out £489 million a year[1]
Nearly half (47%) of consumers don’t check their mobile bill each month, with a fifth (19%) admitting to never checking it at all[2]
A third of consumers (32%) paid extra charges in the last year, with roaming charges proving the costliest, adding an average of £24 onto an annual bill[3]
A fifth of those affected (22%) say others who have access to their phone rack up the additional charges, with over half (56%) blaming their children[4]
Uswitch.com urges consumers to get into the habit of checking their bill each month to protect themselves from nasty surprises.
Ignorance is far from bliss for the nearly half of mobile phone users who fail to check their bill each month, as new research by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service, has found that millions are racking up unexpected charges.
A third of UK consumers (32%) have faced additional costs over the past year, totalling £489 million. Those affected clocked up an average of £38.90 over and above their regular payment during the past 12 months[1].
Roaming charges emerged as the most costly surprise, with those affected reporting an average charge of £24 over the course of the year. This was closely followed by international calls at £21.90 and in-game currency at £21.80[3].
The analysis found that more than one in ten (11%) bill-payers were charged for calling a premium rate number, while 10% exceeded their data allowance, 8% were charged for making international calls and 7% picked up international roaming charges[3].
Despite so many people racking up unexpected charges, almost half of mobile users (47%) say they don’t check their bill every month. More worrying still, a fifth (19%) admit to never checking their bills[2].
A fifth (22%) of those who have spotted a nasty surprise on their bill attribute it to someone else who had access to their phone. Over half of these people (56%) blame their tech-savvy children, with kids responsible for adding £60 million to their parents’ mobile bills[4].
Ru Bhikha, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “Once you’ve got your new phone, it can be too easy to ignore the monthly direct debits — and assume the amount you’re billed won’t change. But failing to keep an eye on what you’re being charged can leave you open to nasty and expensive surprises, especially as more and more of our communications are found online.
“At a time when millions of Britons are watching what they spend in other areas, it’s a surprise that so many are taking their eye off the ball when it comes to their phone. Keeping on top of your mobile costs is a good place to start when watching your pennies, and you should get into the habit of checking your bill every month.
“If you find yourself regularly facing unexpected charges, it’s worth having a chat with your network provider. They might have another tariff which suits your needs better, or they could tell you exactly how you’re incurring the extra costs and give you pointers on what to avoid.
“Meanwhile those who suspect their children of being behind the unexpected charges could try unsaving their card details, or turn on parental controls to stop little fingers racking up a big bill.”
Find out how you could save nearly £1,000 a year with Uswitch here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Rory Stoves
Phone: 020 3872 5613
Email: rory.stoves@uswitch.com
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors:
Opinium surveyed a sample of 2,000 UK adults from the 20th to 23rd October 2020. Results were weighted to reflect a nationally representative criteria.
1. Those who had been overcharged by any of the above given reasons were asked ‘on average, how much did these unexpected costs add to your bill?’, the sum average for all of these was £38.90. 74.5% of people are the main bill payer = 74.5% of 52,673,000 adults = 39,239,070. 32.1% of bill payers have been affected by a charge = 32.1% of 39,239,070 = 12,588,104 people. 12,588,104 x £38.90 = £489,677,246
2. Respondents were asked ‘Are you the main bill-payer on your mobile contract?’, 74.5% of people said ‘yes’. Those who selected ‘yes’ were then asked ‘How often do you read the contents of your mobile bill?’, 47% of bill payers say that they didn’t read the contents of their bill ‘every month’ and 19% of bill payers say that they ‘never’ read the contents of their mobile bill.
3. Respondents were asked ‘Are you the main bill-payer on your mobile contract?’, those who selected ‘yes’ were then asked ‘Have you ever been billed for any of the following unexpected costs from using your mobile phone or apps over the last year’, 32.1% of bill payers said that they had been overcharged. 11% reported ‘calling/texting a premium rate number’, 10% said ‘billed for extra data’, 8% said ‘international calls’, 7% said ‘roaming charges’, 7% said ‘app purchases’, 7% said ‘in-app purchases’, 5% said ‘competition charges (calls or text messages)’, 5% said ‘billed for data bolt-on’, 4% said ‘app subscription/renewal’, 3% said ‘phone-in votes’, 3% said ‘in-game currency’ and 3% said ‘purchasing a film or television show.
Those who had been overcharged by any of the given reasons were asked ‘on average, how much did these unexpected costs add to your bill?’, £24 was the average for people who said ‘roaming charges’, £21.90 was the average for people who said ‘international calls’ and £20.80 was the average for people who said ‘app purchases’.
4. Respondents were asked ‘Are you the main bill-payer on your mobile contract?’, those who selected ‘yes’ were then asked ‘Have you ever been billed for any of the following unexpected costs from using your mobile phone or apps over the last year’, 32.080536913% of bill payers said that they had been overcharged. Those that were overcharged were asked what caused the unexpected charge to which 22% said someone else was to blame, of those who blamed someone else 56% said it was their child’s fault.
22% of affected customers who say others are to blame = 22% of 12,588,104 = 2,769,383. 56% of these say it was their child = 56% of 2,769,383 = 1,550,854. 1,550,854 x £38.90 = £60,328,220.
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including broadband, mobiles, SIM Only and insurance. We’ve saved consumers over £2.5 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
In 2022, Uswitch launched its free mobile app, Utrack, to help consumers manage their home energy costs. By connecting to their smart meter, users can track their energy usage hourly, get dynamic insights and calculate potential savings with handy tips.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a global group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.